Method for wideband short-range wireless communication using a directional antenna

Abstract

Provided is an apparatus and method for wideband short-range wireless communication using a directional antenna in a millimeter wave band, and the method for wideband short-range wireless communication according to an embodiment may determine a first time interval and a second time interval for a cooperated data frame transfer based on a packet transmission time at each transmission from a source node to a destination node, transmit a frame to a relay node through an antenna pattern directed towards the relay node at a start point of the first time interval, and transmit the frame to the destination node through an antenna pattern directed towards the destination node after a predetermined period of time from a start point of the second time interval.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for wireless communication performed by a source node, the method comprising:
 requesting an access point (AP) or a Personal basic service set Control Point (PCP) for an assignment of a resource corresponding to a service period; 
 receiving the assignment of the service period from the AP or the PCP; 
 identifying a first time interval for transmission from the source node to a relay node and a second time interval for transmission from the source node to a destination node; 
 transmitting a data frame to a relay node through an antenna pattern directed towards the relay node at a start point of the first time interval; and 
 transmitting the data frame to the destination node through an antenna pattern directed towards the destination node after a predetermined period from a start point of the second time interval, 
 wherein the second time interval is allocated after the first time interval, 
 wherein among the source node, the relay node and the destination node perform a Transmission Time-Point Adjustment (TPA) procedure, and 
 wherein the requesting comprises requesting the assignment of the service period using, as a start signal, a signal indicating a successful transmission time point adjustment when the source node transmits the data frame and a successful transmission time point adjustment when the relay node transmits the data frame. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the first time interval is determined based on a period of time during which the source node transmits the data frame to the relay node, and 
 the second time interval is determined based on a predetermined period, a period of time during which the relay node transmits the data frame received from the source node to the destination node, a period of time during which the source node transmits the data frame to the destination node, a period of time during which the destination node transmits an acknowledgment frame to the source node. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the first time interval is repeated within an assigned service period, and repeated first time intervals are determined to be the same value or different values, and 
 the second time interval is repeated within an assigned service period, and repeated second time intervals are determined to be the same value or different values. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving an acknowledgment frame indicating the data frame is received from the destination node within the second time interval. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 measuring a quality of a link between the source node and the relay node, a quality of a link between the relay node and the destination node, and a quality of a link between the source node and the destination node, 
 wherein the determining comprises determining the first time interval and the second time interval based on information about the quality of the link between the source node and the relay node, information about the quality of the link between the relay node and the destination node, and information about the quality of the link between the source node and the destination node. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 transmitting information about the measured qualities of links to the AP or the PCP; and 
 receiving, from the AP or the PCP, a further assignment of a resource based on the information about the measured qualities of links. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the measuring comprises receiving, from the relay node, the information about the quality of the link between the source node and the relay node and the information about the quality of the link between the relay node and the destination node. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the AP or the PCP transmits information about the assignment of a resource, for each direction and based on a period of time, through a beam pattern formed in all directions of the AP or the PCP. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitting of the data frame to the relay node comprises setting a medium access control (MAC) address of the source node to a transmitter address of an MAC header, setting an MAC address of the destination node to a receiver address of the MAC header, and transmitting the data frame. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined period of time corresponds to a sum of a preset period of time from a start point of the second time interval and a propagation delay time occurring at a transmission from the source node to the relay node. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving an acknowledgment frame from the relay node after a predetermined period of time and a predetermined period from the start point of the first time interval, 
 wherein the transmitting of the data frame to the relay node comprises transmitting the data frame for the predetermined period of time. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 receiving an acknowledgment frame from the destination node and receiving an acknowledgment frame from the relay node after a predetermined period is passed after a transmission of the data frame to the destination node is completed within the second time interval. 
 
     
     
       13. A method for wireless communication performed by a relay node, the method comprising:
 receiving a data frame from a source node through an antenna pattern directed towards the source node, during a first time interval; and 
 transmitting the data frame to a destination node through an antenna pattern directed towards the destination node after a predetermined period from a start point of a second time interval, 
 wherein the second time interval is allocated after the first time interval, 
 wherein the data frame is transmitted from the source node to the destination node after the predetermined period from the start point of the second time interval, 
 wherein among the source node, the relay node and the destination node perform a Transmission Time-Point Adjustment (TPA) procedure, and 
 wherein the predetermined period corresponds to a sum of a preset period of time and a period of time obtained by subtracting a propagation delay time, occurring at a transmission from the destination node to the relay node, from a propagation delay time, occurring at a transmission from the destination node to the source node. 
 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the relay node operates by a half-duplex scheme to receive the data frame from the source node, and transmits the data frame to the destination node. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the transmitting comprises setting a medium access control (MAC) address of the source node to a transmitter address of an MAC header, setting an MAC address of the destination node to a receiver address of the MAC header, and transmitting the data frame. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 measuring a quality of a link between the source node and the relay node and a quality of a link between the relay node and the destination node; and 
 transmitting, to the source node, information about the quality of the link between the source node and the relay node and information about the quality of the link between the relay node and the destination node. 
 
     
     
       17. A method for wireless communication performed by a destination node, the method comprising:
 receiving a data frame from a relay node and a source node in a second time interval after a first time interval; and 
 transmitting an acknowledgment frame indicating a reception of the data frame after a predetermined period within the second time interval to the source node, 
 wherein the second time interval is allocated after the first time interval, 
 wherein the source node transmits the data frame to the relay node in the first time internal from a start point of the first time interval, 
 wherein the destination node receives the data frame from the relay node and the source node after the predetermined period from a start point of the second time interval, 
 wherein among the source node, the relay node and the destination node perform a Transmission Time-Point Adjustment (TPA) procedure, and 
 wherein the predetermined period corresponds to a sum of a preset period of time and a period of time obtained by subtracting a propagation delay time, occurring at a transmission from the destination node to the relay node, from a propagation delay time, occurring at a transmission from the destination node to the source node.